"Now I will carve up your face," Danny opened his eyes in time to see Skulker bring back his wrist blade. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst when he heard a loud crash.
Skulker dropped Danny and was sent flying over his head. Danny opened his eyes to see a beat up old jeep. The car had hit the hunter. Tucker got out of the car with a triumphant look on his face.
"Tucker?" Danny said in disbelief. Tucker ran over to Danny and helped him up.
"I have no idea what's going on," he said. "But I want in on the fun." Danny couldn't help but smile at his friend.
"I knew your old jeep would be good for something," Tucker was about to say something when he heard a roar of frustration. Skulker had flown up into the air and aimed his wrist laser at the both of them.
"You will pay for that," he fired.
Danny held up his hands and a green shield blocked the both of them from the laser attack. He looked at his friend.
"Run, I can take care of this now," Tucker nodded in agreement.
"Ok, now I have to think on what to tell my insurance company," He ran off leaving Danny to fight.
Danny flew up and met the hunter in the air. They wrestled back and forth, neither one of them gaining the upper hand. Danny finally let go and put some distance between him and Skulker.
The evil robot glared at him. He fired more green lasers at his foe, but Danny easily dodged them.
"You'll have to do better then that," he taunted. Skulker became infuriated and threw grenades he had on his belt. The grenades exploded around Danny knocking him back to the ground.
"Don't worry whelp, I can do a lot better," He reached into a compartment on his belt and brought out a small metal pipe. The pipe extended to a large double bladed staff.
Skulker flew at Danny and swung the staff at him. The staff missed him by inches cutting off a single piece of white hair.
Danny phased through the second strike and grabbed the staff. With all his might he pulled it out of Skulker's hand and swung the blade back at him. The blade cut the hunter across his metallic chest.
Skulker looked down at the cut in his metal and growled. He prepared to attack again when he heard a beep in his helmet. It was Vlad.
"Not now," he growled. Vlad's voice was ringed through his head.
"That will be all, I am calling off the hit," Skulker nearly fell over in surprise.
"What?! I am about to finish him off. You can't….." Vlad cut him off.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, stand down or I will disable you and let him tear you apart." Skulker almost let him know that he couldn't be disabled anymore. Instead he said:
"How have you been watching this?" He heard Vlad laugh on the other line.
"I have eyes everywhere, now stand down. This is your last warning." Skulker put his hands down. Danny was looking at the hunter in confusion.
"Hearing voices, that's crazy, even for a ghost." Skulker glared at the half ghost.
"This isn't over boy, you haven't seen the last of me," He turned to go but Danny yelled.
"I don't think so Skulker, we will finish this here and now," he flew at Skulker ready to strike, but the hunter threw a flash grenade blinding Danny for a second. When he regained his eye sight, Skulker was gone.
"Damm," he said in frustration. "What was that all about? I can't let him run free." He took off into the air to search for the hunter.
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Later, in his mansion outside of town, Vlad sat in his office. From what he saw from the fight with Skulker, Danny had grown very powerful indeed. If he was this powerful now, who knows how strong he would be in a few years. He had to control him.
Just then, Skulker crashed through the wall of his office, sending pieces of wood and dust everywhere. Vlad looked at the hunter in anger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? I didn't send for you." The hunter walked up to his desk and glared at him.
"This was all just some kind of test?" he nearly yelled. "You were just using me to see how strong that freak was?" Vlad smiled evilly.
"Very perceptive, yes, I was using you. But that's why I made you. You are my personal weapon." Skulker pounded his hand down on the middle of the desk breaking it in two. Vlad looked down at it in mild surprise.
"I won't be your tool anymore. From this day on, I am done doing your dirty work." Vlad looked at the hunter in amusement.
"Is that so? Well you don't have a choice in the matter, now do you?" he reached into his chest pocket and brought out the remote to disable Skulker. He pressed the button on it, but nothing happened. Skulker had an arrogant smile "Oh, cheese logs,"
Skulker grabbed Vlad by the shirt and threw him out the door and down the stairs. Vlad landed hard on the cold floor next to the entrance door.
Skulker jumped down the steps and looked down at Vlad on the floor. He smiled at him.
"That won't work on me anymore." Vlad got shakily to his feet. His hair was ruffled and there was a slight trickle of blood running down his face.
"Well done, you have somehow escaped my control, but no matter." Skulker looked at the millionaire in slight confusion. He must have a concussion or something. He was clearly outmatched.
Suddenly, Vlad's entire body was encased in black light and he transformed. His skin turned a light blue, his hair went from long and grey to black and spiky. His eyes went from brown to dark red and his teeth had fangs. Finally his clothes transformed to a white hazmat suit with black gloves and a long white cape.
Skulker gaped at his new form. He was taken back for a second. He drew his fist back and threw a punch with all his might.
Vlad caught it like it was nothing. He back handed Skulker into a wall. The hunter looked at the evil man. His strength was incredible.
"How….?" he began to ask. But just then Vlad brought up his hand and a purple energy beam shot out at Skulker. The beam blew his arm off. Skulker gasped. "You are just like him." Vlad nodded.
"I am more then you can imagine," He shot another purple energy bolt at him. This time his entire body blew up in pieces of scrap metal. What remained of his once great battle suit lay on the floor in a heap of metal. A green mist rose from it and disappeared.
Vlad changed back to his human form and spat at the ground. He was disappointed he had to destroy Skulker, but he had still served his purpose. If everything went according to plan, he would have a more powerful weapon at his disposal.
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After hours of searching, Danny finally gave up looking for Skulker. He had flown around the entire city looking for the evil hunter, but found no trace.
The evil ghost robot had raised some questions. Someone wanted Danny dead. They wanted it so bad that they sent some super powerful ghost robot after him.
Danny had read about Skulker in the Men in White ghost files. He was an extremely dangerous ghost. It was some kind of ghost entity inside a robotic battle suit, truly fascinating, if he hadn't been trying to kill him. He had to get to the bottom of this.
Danny phased through the roof of his house and landed in his kitchen. He changed back to human and sat at his kitchen table. It had been a long day. He looked across the table to see his friend Tucker and nearly jumped with surprise.
"Tucker, God don't do that," Tucker just smiled.
"I came here when I couldn't figure out what to do," he explained. "I debated on whether or not to call the Men in White. But I figured that was a bad idea, at least for now. I see you survived fighting your robot friend. What was that all about?" Danny shrugged and sat back in his chair.
"I don't know, that was Skulker, he is some kind of ghost mercenary. I don't know what he wanted with me." Tucker narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not talking about that, what are you?" Danny looked down at the ground uncomfortable.
"I know this will sound crazy, but I am some kind of half ghost." Tucker looked at his friend in confusion.
"Half ghost?" Danny nodded.
"Yeah that is my best way to explain it. Ever since the accident with the ghost portal I can transform into a ghost. But I am still a human. I know it doesn't make any sense, but there you go." Tucker didn't say anything for a minute. He took off his red had and scratched his head.
"Well if I hadn't seen it for myself, I would say you are crazy. How can this be?" Danny shrugged again.
"I don't know. All of the ecto radiation from the portal has affected me in a weird way. I am some type of anomaly."
"No doubt about that, have you told anyone else?" Danny looked at his friend like he was nuts.
"Hell no, I don't want the scientists at the Afterlife to dissect me. Who knows what the Men in White would do. It would destroy my career, not to mention my life. I think we will keep this between us for now." Tucker looked at his friend with an odd expression.
"Maybe I'll tell them for you," he said. "I'm no good at keeping secrets." Danny glared at him.
"You wouldn't," Tucker glared back then broke out laughing.
"No way man, your secret is safe with me." Danny let out a sigh of relief. "But I wouldn't mind seeing what you can do and running some tests of my own some time."
"Sure thing, I'll show you my notes. Wow this feels so much better telling someone." He smiled. Tucker was silent for a minute, just looking at Danny. Finally he said:
"So," Danny gave him a blank look.
"So?" he said back.
"What is your super hero name going to be?" Danny nearly fell of his chair in surprise.
"Super hero? Trust me, I am no hero."
"Oh c'mon, you can totally be a super hero." Danny began to dismiss the idea, but then he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, I do want to help get rid of all these ghosts around town, I mean it's my fault they're here to begin with." Tucker pounded his hand on the table.
"It's not your fault they're here, but if you want to help get rid of them, you are going to need a name for yourself." Danny looked at him thoughtfully.
"What is this, a Saturday morning cartoon? Get real Tucker."
"Well you can't tell the ghosts your name is Danny." Danny got up from the table to get some food from the refrigerator.
"Why not, nothing is wrong with that." Tucker just looked up at his friend.
"Fine then, how about Danny Phantom," Danny nearly dropped his food from laughing.
"Danny Phantom? What am I fourteen?" An irritated look passed over Tucker's face.
"Ok, how about just Phantom?" Danny stopped laughing long enough to think about it.
"Phantom? You know, it doesn't sound half bad." Tucker clapped his hands.
"Alright then, evil ghosts everywhere look out, Phantom is on the case." He jumped up on the table and struck a heroic pose. Danny sat down and sighed.
"What have I gotten myself into?"
A/N: End of my first story arch. I plan to write more in the future. I am open to suggestions on who Danny can fight next. Feel free to tell me who you think he should fight. I am currently in the process of creating the next story arch for this. Let me know what you think. Once again I want to thank all who commented on my story. It really helped. Until next time my loyal readers.